The present invention provides a fast-heating outdoor gas burner apparatus and method for more thorough combustion and more efficient heating of a cooking pot.
Large scale outdoor cooking, such as cooking for festivals and fairs and other large gatherings, is often done on gas-fueled burners designed to accommodate large cooking pots. In Louisiana, such outdoor cooking might be boiling crawfish or crabs or making jambalaya. Propane from a standard 4.5-gallon tank is often used as the fuel, especially when portability is needed. Natural gas, which has somewhat less energy per unit of volume than propane, is also used, especially when a piped-in source of natural gas is available.
The presently known and available outdoor gas burners are not highly efficient in bringing the gas to a complete combustion, and therefore do not produce as hot a flame as the gas is inherently capable of producing. Also, presently known and available outdoor gas burners are not highly efficient in focusing the heat on the cooking pot, and therefore waste a portion of the heat generated.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,153,410, issued Oct. 20, 1964 to R. P. Goodare et al. for “Torch and Pot Holder,” discloses holders for torches and melting pots, such as those used by plumbers to melt lead. The Goodare disclosure covers a torch and pot holder comprising a substantially horizontal base plate having an upright cylindrical opening through it, a plurality of raised ribs on the top surface of the base plate extending from the base plate cylindrical opening in a radial outward direction, a downwardly extending cylindrical chimney secured at its upper end to the base plate around the cylindrical opening through the base plate, the diameter of said upper end of said chimney being equal to the diameter of the cylindrical opening through said base plate, the chimney having a plurality of lateral openings around its lower portion, said chimney being formed with a bottom plate and having an upright opening in its bottom plate, a plurality of elongated upright ground engaging legs secured at their upper ends to the base plate and each being of sufficient length to extend a substantial distance below the lower end of the chimney and hold the opening in the bottom plate of the chimney clear of any obstruction, and a torch insertable into one of said lateral openings of said chimney to be removably supported by said chimney.
U.S. Publication No. 2002/0040644, published Apr. 11, 2002 by Don McLemoreet et al. on a “Cooking Apparatus,” discloses a cooking apparatus for improved heat circulation and containment when smoking or grilling using electric, gas, or charcoal as the heat source. The base pan design enhances heat containment, and offers a channel design in the bottom of the base pan. A flame disk for even heat distribution is provided and can be used in conjunction with the base pan, and prevents internal food drippings from escaping through the disk. The disk design enhances the heat efficiency, and safeguards against drippings or ashes falling through to the burner or ground. The holes in the disk are raised, and have attached covers strategically placed over the holes to deter drippings or ashes from falling through. A fire pit container is also provided and is designed for use with the base pan. The fire pit container supports a heat source, such as a gas burner, which directs a flame toward the base pan open hole and also toward the underside of a flame disk when a flame disk is suspended above the base pan hole.
U.S. Publication No. 2010/0258105, published Oct. 14, 2010 by Lee Simms II John on an “Egg-Shaped Outdoor Cooker,” discloses a non-ceramic, light-weight egg-shaped outdoor cooker made from formed sheet metal. The cooker includes a double-walled kettle, with an inner wall spaced and insulated from an outer wall by an insulating layer. A domed lid is constructed similarly to the double-walled kettle and is hinted to the top of the kettle. By spacing the inner wall from the outer wall and providing an insulating layer, heat transfer to the outside of the cooker is greatly slowed. By constructing the structure of sheet metal, instead of ceramic, the cooker is light-weight, rugged, and economical to manufacture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,875, issued Aug. 4, 1998 to Jess K. Munos et al. for a “Propane Burner System for Orchards,” includes a housing, a venture system, and a propane fuel system. The housing preferably includes a bottom enclosure interconnected with a stack and may be a converted standard fuel burning orchard heater. The venture system is positioned within the bottom enclosure so that it extends into the stack. The bottom enclosure has at least one vent/fuel opening and the stack preferably includes an igniter opening. The venture system includes a support system, a flue that is preferably triangular in cross section, an exhausting chamber, and a deflector plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,107 issued Aug. 27, 2002 to Norman R. Bourgeois for a “Gas Fired Outdoor Cooking Apparatus.” The cooking apparatus enables a user to cook (boiling, steaming, or frying), and includes a burner having a base that is specially shaped to cradle a pot. An upper section above the support surface of the burner for engaging the sidewall of the pot should the pot be tipped inadvertently is also included. The burner can include upper members that are supported above the bottom of the pot and a lower member that engages an underlying supporting surface. Alternatively, the burner frame can have a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending legs. Struts are shaped and cradle the bottom of the pot and its sidewall.
U.S. Publication No. 2010/0311001 published Dec. 9, 2010 by Frank Helmsen et al. for a “Flame Arrester Arrangement.” The publication discloses a flame arrester arrangement having a housing for holding at least two flame arrester inserts having a large number of axial passage gaps dimensioned for a combustible gas, and having an intermediate layer arranged between two flame arrester inserts, which permits a radial distribution of the gas flow emerging from one flame arrester insert and entering an adjacent downstream flame arrester insert, the ability of the flame arrester inserts to be easily assembled and disassembled for servicing purposes without restricting the functional integrity can be achieved by at least one separate closed seal being arranged between a flame arrester insert and the housing or between two flame arrester inserts in such a way that a flow around the flame arrester insert in a space located radially outside the passage gaps is prevented.
U.S. Publication No. 2014/0230701, published Aug. 21, 2014 by Robert K. Cheng et al. on a “Natural Draft Low Swirl Burner,” discloses a new design for a low swirl burner in which natural draft rather than a motorized pump is used to move a fuel-air mixture through the burner. This new design enables the burn off of gas at refineries in an environment where electric motors cannot be used because of the potential for sparks, which could trigger explosions. Additional modifications to the burner, including the introduction of flue gas to the burner, allows for the reduction of NOx gas to meet current emission control targets, without the need for further post-combustion emission control systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,452,925, issued Nov. 2, 1948 to Carl S. Greer Jr. on an “Elongated Pot Burner and Flame Ring,” covers a new and improved vaporizing type burner for liquid fuel and has for an object the provision of an improved construction capable of safe and economical operation over a wide range. The liquid fuel burner comprises an open topped burner pot of elliptical shape cross-sectionally having a bottom wall, a side wall, and a series of upper and lower air inlet openings circumferentially disposed in said side wall to give a substantially uniform supply of air to the pot, fuel supply means for delivering a regulatable quantity of fuel to said pot, and a flame plate at the top of said pot having an elongated flame opening therein, said flame opening being disposed centrally in said flame plate and having its ends on opposite sides of its longitudinal axis a distance closer to the side wall of said pot than other portions of said flame opening.
U.S. Publication No. 2005/0208444 published Sept. 22, 2005 to Gary Butler et al. for a “Method and Apparatus for Modifying the Path of a Flame.” The publication discloses an apparatus and method for modifying the appearance of a flame to maximize the size of the flame for a given amount of fuel, increase a burn rate efficiency of the flame, or change the shape of the flame. The shape and size of the flame may be modified by applying a secondary source of fluid to the flame. The secondary source of fluid may cause turbulent fluid flow within the combustion chamber enclosure in which the flame is produced to change the appearance of the flame. The secondary source of fluid may be generated by a flower or fan and may include, for example, a source of fresh combustion air, additional flammable gas such as natural gas, or other fluid additives for enhancement of the flame color, shape, and size.
U.S. Publication No. 2008/0302353 published Dec. 11, 2008 to Yizhong Sun for a “Removable Flame Heat Regulating Apparatus Including an Inner Hollow Shell and an Outer Wall for a Burner of a Gas Stove.” The publication discloses a flame heat regulating apparatus for a cooktop of a gas stove, comprising an inner hollow shell and an outer wall which are both placed onto the stove cooktop. The shell further positioned to surround a gas burner is arcuate in shape, having a smaller sized bottom side and a larger sized top side. A plurality of air passages are through the shell, wherein the air passages are more densely distributed onto a lower part of the shell, as compared with the air passages which are less densely distributed onto an upper part of the shell. The outer wall further positioned to surround the shell is comprised of a plurality of air passages which are evenly distributed therethrough. In addition, a plurality of extensions projected upwardly are spaced on a top side of the wall to support a cookware. Application of the flame heat regulating apparatus enables increase of heating efficiency of the flame in cooking, and prevents undesirable heating of a handle of the cookware.
U.S. Publication No. 2009/0308373 published Dec. 17, 2009 to Leon James Scott et al. for a “Portable Insulated Grill,” and discloses a portable insulated grill having a housing and a lid, both of which have inner and outer shells of metal with a plenum therebetween filled with an insulating material such as fiberglass. A hinge couples the lid to the housing, and a tube is attached on the bottom of the housing. The grill can be carried on a carrier or on a vehicle. The carrier has a support surface, wheels, and a leg. A bar connected to the support surface extends toward an open side. This bar can removably position in the tube on the bottom of the housing so the support surface can support the grill. As an alternative, the grill's tube can mount on a drawbar attached to a hitch on a vehicle. Inside the grill, the housing has brackets that support a firebox on a first shelf and that support a main grate either on the first shelf or on a second shelf. The main grate has cutaways and can be locked in position by the brackets when positioned on the second shelf. An auxiliary grate has a stand that can connect to the main grate and that allows the auxiliary grate to rotate.
There is a need for an outdoor gas burner that makes more efficient use of the propane or natural gas by more complete and hotter-burning combustion, and by focusing the heat on the cooking pot.